Professional Mariner reported on Edna A and the fleet’s role positioning undersea cable barges through the New York State Canal System toward Lake Champlain as part of the regional clean-power program.
The story highlights routing, lock transits, and coordination for the cable-transfer operations.
WNYT NewsChannel 13 reports on the Mohawk River ice pilot: tug Margot works between Lock 7 in Niskayuna and Lock 8 in Rotterdam, breaking ice before it can jam and flood riverside communities.
The piece describes a partnership among the New York Power Authority, New York State Marine Highway, and the New York State Canal Corporation, with data collection through Clarkson University and Union College.
Canal Corporation representatives explain how crews aim to keep an open channel so larger ice pieces can move downstream.
Times Union photo coverage documents tugboat traffic on the Hudson River in Waterford and highlights local maritime activity around tugboat events.
WorkBoat reported on Waterford’s 25th anniversary Tugboat Roundup, including the recognition of NYS Marine Highway’s Sarah D as Tug of the Year.
The coverage highlights the event’s role in celebrating regional maritime heritage and tug operations on New York waterways.
NYS Marine Highway’s tugboat fleet is the first step in a $300 million NYS Power Authority initiative to protect Mohawk River communities from ice-related flooding.
The pilot program, announced in early 2021, deploys commercial tugs to break up ice jams before they can cause damage. Historically, ice jams on the Mohawk have led to sudden flooding in Schenectady, Amsterdam, and other riverside communities. By proactively breaking the ice with vessel traffic, the state hopes to reduce the risk.
“We’ve been doing ice-breaking work for the Canal Corporation for years,” said an NYSMH representative. “This pilot expands that model. Our crews know the river, and our tugs are built for it. It’s a natural fit.”
The program has drawn attention from other states with similar challenges. “If this works on the Mohawk, it could be a template for the Great Lakes and beyond,” said one state official.
GlobalSpec detailed a rebound in New York canal shipping, highlighting annual commercial tonnage growth and renewed use of the system for freight movement.
The piece points to the strategic value of canal transport for specific cargo corridors and projects in the state.
A landmark 2016 contract with Azzil Granite Materials sparked rapid fleet expansion for NYS Marine Highway and signaled a commercial revival on the Erie and Champlain canals.
For decades, commercial shipping on New York’s canal system had declined. Truck and rail had captured most of the freight. But the economics of moving stone — friction stone, bluestone, and aggregate — from Champlain Canal quarries to New York City’s five boroughs favored water. Azzil needed a reliable partner. NYSMH had the tugs, the crews, and the canal expertise.
“That contract changed everything,” said a company executive. “We went from three tugs and twenty employees to a fleet of nine vessels and a staff of seventy-plus. We’re now moving over 500,000 tons per season. The canals are back.”
The revival has drawn attention from policymakers and industry alike. “NYS Marine Highway is proof that commercial shipping on the canals isn’t just history — it’s the future,” said one state official. “They’ve shown that with the right operator, the system works.”
The New York Times reported on the Erie Canal’s continuing commercial role, highlighting how specialized freight still moved by barge despite decades of broader decline.
The 2008 piece looked at the economics behind canal transportation and the operators still using the route for heavy and bulk cargo movements.
